Every time I go to the store, I look for closeout and clearance items that are being sold at a reduced price. It can definitely save money to buy these discounted items!
Don’t think that an item is only clearance-priced because it is nearing its expiration date. There are several reasons why an item’s price is reduced.
- The store plans to stop selling that product. (This is called a closeout.)
- The packaging on the product is changing. Stores want to move the items quickly so they can make room for the products with the newest packaging.
- The store has an abundant supply of a product and needs to reduce its inventory.
- The item is nearing its expiration date.
Recently, I found half-gallons of milk on clearance for $.99 each. I checked the date on the milk and was happy to see there was still one week remaining until the milk expired. I noticed that there was a huge stock of these half-gallons. I assumed the store was over-stocked and happily bought five of them! (We drink a lot of milk!)
By the way, at most stores you CAN use a coupon on closeout items if you have one.
How to Find Closeout/Clearance Items I
n the Store
1. Find out what your store’s clearance tags look like. Clearance tags are often orange, yellow, or red. It’s not too difficult to spot these brightly-colored tags.
2. Ask the manager if there is a particular place where closeout items are located. Stores often have a special shelf or section reserved for clearanced items.
3. Ask the manager if there is a particular day OR time of day when items are put on clearance. Plan your shopping trip during that day or time.
If you’ve missed the previous posts in this series, check them out:
How To Spend Less By Buying On Sale
How To Spend Less By Using Coupons
